City to discuss possible ban on drive-thrus in downtown Bristol

The Bristol Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a public hearing Wednesday night on whether to consider a proposal to ban drive-thrus in the downtown area.

The new downtown revitalization project, which is currently under way, would make the North Main Street area into a walkable area by the end of the year.

However, city officials said drive-thrus will prevent that from happening and they are proposing an 18-month moratorium on drive-thrus in the downtown area.

"We believe that certain land uses are appropriate for certain areas," said Ryan Porter of Renaissance Downtowns. "And it's up to the land use boards and committees to make decisions on what's appropriate where."

The possible moratorium on drive-thrus has caused the owner of the Dunkin Donuts located on North Main Street to fire back with a lawsuit after his permit application was denied.

Phase one of the proposed downtown development, which will consist of 240 residential units, 22,000 square feet of retail and a public piazza, would not involve any drive-thru businesses.

"For us, something like drive-thrus are not appropriate for the types of development that we do," Porter said. "But, there are plenty of areas within Bristol for drive-thru-type of development."

The public hearing will be at the Bristol City Hall at 111 North Main St. at 6:30 p.m.

For more information on the hearing or the moratorium, call the Bristol Land Use Office at 860-584-6225. People who cannot attend the meeting can submit testimony to the Bristol Land Use Office.

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